One of the best things about Helldivers 2 being a live-service game is that there will be no end to its ongoing narrative until its developer, Arrowhead Game Studios, decides that it's time to put a stop to it. That means the game doesn't have an expected lifespan so long as there are new ideas to push the story forward, and those usually come through updates that provide new Major Orders.
These are essentially community-based objectives that drive the game's plot, and it's often emphasized how players must accomplish them. However, there are instances when the community fails to do so, which helps make the in-game war feel more immersive.
Helldivers 2 has been all about the important goal of liberating and defending planets within the galaxy, while stopping those aimed at opposing it, like the Terminids, Automatons, and Illuminate. It is essentially a galactic war that fans of the game engross themselves in and take part in, and much like there's a possibility of winning it, there's also a chance of losing.
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+ 2Every Major Order that Helldivers 2 shares with its players feels like a reminder that there are important things that need to be done to ensure the shared goal is reached and that the enemy doesn't triumph. And because of how well Arrowhead Game Studios has built its game's world and lore, people who have become captivated with the ongoing narrative will do everything possible to ensure these orders are met.
There's no denying that a good amount of Helldivers 2's community cares about what happens to the plot, and the last thing they would likely want is to lose the galactic battle. So when they don't complete a Major Order, it hurts as if they're losing in a real war, as it can feel as though they failed the citizens of Super Earth they've come to care about and the others who've spent time and effort towards managed democracy.
Aside from the guilt and disappointment that comes with potentially losing, another way in which failing Major Orders makes the in-game galactic conflict feel real is the consequences that come from doing so. While not completing them on time doesn't result in anything too horrible for the players, such as the delayed release of a Stratagem or other pieces of content, Arrowhead Game Studios does find methods to show that it impacts the inhabitants of the in-game world.
click to enlarge + 2One example is letting players visually see planets that were once under Super Earth's control now belong to the enemy. It's possible those places contained innocent lives and played a key part in the effort towards galactic freedom, which means losing them to any of Helldivers 2's opposing factions can be a substantial blow to morale, while potentially taking the narrative in a dark direction.
Something like that helps in making the galactic war feel real, as it's a clear way of telling everyone that there are aftereffects if nobody puts in any effort to win, and they're usually something that can't be ignored and won't be liked.
A Major Order failure in Helldivers 2 isn't something anyone would want. However, it cannot be denied that the possibility of it happening makes the in-game war feel more real than it should, which could potentially attract more people to play and help extend the game's lifespan.
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